William Augustus Pitt
Encyclopedia
General
Sir William Augustus Pitt KB
, PC
(c. 1728 - 29 December 1809) was a long-serving if undistinguished senior officer of the British Army
whose sixty years of service covered several major wars and numerous postings as garrison or regiment commander. He served as MP
between 1754 and 1761. He came from a notable political family: his father was also an MP and his elder brother became Baron Rivers
.
as a schoolboy as his elder brother George
is known to have done, but nothing is known for sure of his activities until 1744 when he received a commission to join the 10th Dragoons as a cornet
. In the dragoons Pitt registered solid if unspectacular service and was not engaged on active service until the outbreak of the Seven Years War in 1756.
Pitt's wartime records are vague, but he gained distinction for his bravery in action and was severely wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Kloster Kampen
in 1760. Released on parole, Pitt returned to his regiment at the war's conclusion and was made a full colonel
. Between 1754 and 1761 Pitt had been the Member of Parliament for Wareham
, a Dorset
constituency with approximately 500 voters. He lost his seat whilst a prisoner in France and did not enter politics again, even after his brother's elevation to the House of Lords
. In 1763 Pitt married Mary Howe, the daughter of Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe
. They had no children.
In 1770 Pitt was promoted to major-general while maintaining the colonelcy of the 12th Dragoons
. His forces were not deployed during the American Revolutionary War
and in 1775 he transferred to the 3rd Irish Horse, again not seeing any action. In 1777 he was promoted to lieutenant general
and in 1784 became commander
of all the British forces in Ireland
, a post he retained until 1791, when he was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath. At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
in 1793, Pitt was promoted to full general
but his age and lack of military service precluded any active postings and in 1794 he was given the shore command of the Portsmouth
defences, a post he retained until 1809 when he died at his estate in Hampshire
aged over eighty. Despite his relatively uneventful service, Pitt continued to exert influence at Army headquarters throughout his life.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir William Augustus Pitt KB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, PC
Privy Council of Ireland
The Privy Council of Ireland was an institution of the Kingdom of Ireland until 31 December 1800 and of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland 1801-1922...
(c. 1728 - 29 December 1809) was a long-serving if undistinguished senior officer of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
whose sixty years of service covered several major wars and numerous postings as garrison or regiment commander. He served as MP
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
between 1754 and 1761. He came from a notable political family: his father was also an MP and his elder brother became Baron Rivers
Baron Rivers
Baron Rivers was a title that was created four times in British history, twice in the Peerage of England, once in the Peerage of Great Britain and once in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. The first creation came in 1299 when John Rivers was summoned to Parliament as Baron Rivers. The title became...
.
Military career
Pitt was born in approximately 1728, the sixth but second surviving son of George Pitt, MP for Wareham and his wife Mary Louisa. His date of birth has not been ascertained, and little information is available about his early life. He may have attended Winchester CollegeWinchester College
Winchester College is an independent school for boys in the British public school tradition, situated in Winchester, Hampshire, the former capital of England. It has existed in its present location for over 600 years and claims the longest unbroken history of any school in England...
as a schoolboy as his elder brother George
George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers
George Pitt, 1st Baron Rivers was a British diplomat and politician.-Background and education:He born in Geneva, the eldest son of George Pitt of Stratfieldsaye, Hampshire and his wife Mary Louise Bernier from Strasbourg. General Sir William Augustus Pitt was his younger brother...
is known to have done, but nothing is known for sure of his activities until 1744 when he received a commission to join the 10th Dragoons as a cornet
Cornet
The cornet is a brass instrument very similar to the trumpet, distinguished by its conical bore, compact shape, and mellower tone quality. The most common cornet is a transposing instrument in B. It is not related to the renaissance and early baroque cornett or cornetto.-History:The cornet was...
. In the dragoons Pitt registered solid if unspectacular service and was not engaged on active service until the outbreak of the Seven Years War in 1756.
Pitt's wartime records are vague, but he gained distinction for his bravery in action and was severely wounded and taken prisoner at the Battle of Kloster Kampen
Battle of Kloster Kampen
The Battle of Kloster Kampen was a tactical French victory over a British and allied army in the Seven Years' War. The Allied forces were driven from the field.-Prelude:...
in 1760. Released on parole, Pitt returned to his regiment at the war's conclusion and was made a full colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
. Between 1754 and 1761 Pitt had been the Member of Parliament for Wareham
Wareham (UK Parliament constituency)
Wareham was a parliamentary borough in Dorset, which elected two Members of Parliament to the House of Commons from 1302 until 1832, and then one member from 1832 until 1885, when the borough was abolished.-History:...
, a Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
constituency with approximately 500 voters. He lost his seat whilst a prisoner in France and did not enter politics again, even after his brother's elevation to the House of Lords
House of Lords
The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....
. In 1763 Pitt married Mary Howe, the daughter of Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe
Emanuel Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe
Emanuel Scrope Howe, 2nd Viscount Howe was a British politician and colonial administrator. He was member of parliament for Nottinghamshire from 1722 to 1732. From 1733 to 1735 he served as Governor of the West Indian colony of Barbados where he died of disease...
. They had no children.
In 1770 Pitt was promoted to major-general while maintaining the colonelcy of the 12th Dragoons
12th Royal Lancers
The 12th Royal Lancers was a cavalry regiment of the British Army. In 1960, it was amalgamated with 9th Queen's Royal Lancers, to form 9th/12th Royal Lancers .-History:...
. His forces were not deployed during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
and in 1775 he transferred to the 3rd Irish Horse, again not seeing any action. In 1777 he was promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
and in 1784 became commander
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland
Commander-in-Chief, Ireland was title of the commander of British forces in Ireland before 1922.The role nominally is held by the President of Ireland today as the supreme commander of the Defence Forces.-Commanders-in-Chief, Ireland, 1700-1922:...
of all the British forces in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, a post he retained until 1791, when he was made a Knight Companion of the Order of the Bath. At the outbreak of the French Revolutionary Wars
French Revolutionary Wars
The French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
in 1793, Pitt was promoted to full general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
but his age and lack of military service precluded any active postings and in 1794 he was given the shore command of the Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
defences, a post he retained until 1809 when he died at his estate in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
aged over eighty. Despite his relatively uneventful service, Pitt continued to exert influence at Army headquarters throughout his life.